Indicating mechanism for cash registers



June 3, 1930.

B. M. SHIPLEY INDICATING MECHANISM FOR CASH REGISTERS Filed Oct. 31, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 UUUUUUUUUU UUUUUUUUU HHHHHWHHHU v FIG June 3, I930. B. M. SHIPLEY 1,761,643

INDICAT'ING MECHANISM FOR CASH REGISTERS I Filed Oct. 51, 1925 s Sheets-Sheet 2 June 3, 1930. B. M. SHIPLEY INDICATING MECHANISM FOR CASH REGISTERS Filed Oct. 31, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 gwucn To; Berni: M. Shipley MM Patented June 3, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BERNIS M. SHIPLEY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE NATIONAL CASH REGISTER COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF MARY- LAND INDICATING MECHANISM FOR CASH REGISTERS Application filed October 31, 1925. Serial No. 66,056.

This invention relates to indicating mechanism for cash registers and accounting machines.

The object of this invention is to provide means for disabling the indicating mechanism when certain totalizers are engaged with their actuators.

With this and incidental objects in view, the invention includes certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, the essential. elements of which are est forth in appended claims and a preferred form or embodiment of which is hereinafter described with reference to the drawings which accompany and form part of this shown in Fig. 3, but with the parts in a partially operated position, and with the indicator lifting mechanism disabled.

In general In machines of the type herein disclosed, it is sometimes desirable to set aside one group of totalizers for accumulating the cost prices of articles sold, and other groups for accumulating the selling prices of the articles sold. hen the selling price is added into a selling price totalizer, it is desired to have the amount indicated to the public. hen, however, the cost price is added into a cost price totalizer, this amount should not be displayed to the pub lic. In the mechanism herein disclosed, means has been provided to disable the indicator lifting mechanism by utilizing the movement of a cost price totalizcr as it is being engaged with its actuators.

The machine to which the invention is chines, and it is, therefore, not desired to limit its use to the machine shown herein.

A differential mechanism for controlling the extents of movement of the actuators is shown and described in detail in the above mentioned patents, and therefore, only a brief description thereof will be given herein, as reference may be had to those patents.

- Kcyooarcl .The machine is provided with a plurality of amount keys 30, carried in key frames 81 supported on rods 32 and-33 (Fig. 1). The machine is also provided with a plurality of banks of control keys for selecting and controlling the engagement of the totalizers. These banks of control keys are not shown. One bank of control keys is used for controlling the group of cost price totalizers 3% (Fig. l), and one bank is used for controlling each of the groups of selling price totalizers and 36. An interlock (not shown) is provided so that only one class of totalizers, that is, either a cost price or a selling price totalizer, can be engaged with the actuators during an operation of the machine. The method of lecting and controlling the engagement of these totalizers is well known in the art, and a detailed description may be had by referring to the above mentioned patents, particularly the Fuller patents.

T otalizers The totalizers are arranged in three groups 34, 35 and 36 above mentioned. Any number of totalizers from one to ten may be grouped together, depending on the capacity of the machine. Each totalizer is made up of a plurality of accumulating pinions 37 mounted on a tube shaft 38 carried by frames 59. The frames 59 are slidably mounted to shift laterally on a supporting shaft 39.

Differential mechmtism The machine includes a plurality of the denominational banks of keys 30, and the following brief explanation of one bank will suffice for all, the mechanism being old and well known in the art.

Depression of an amount key in any bank positions its inner end in the path of a bell crank lever 40 which, together with a link 41, carries a latch 42. The bell crank lever 40 and the link 41 are mounted on the totalizer actuator 43, there being one such actuator for each bank of keys. The latch 42 is held in engagement with a shoulder on the driving segment 44, by a spring 45. The segment 44 is connected to a lever 46 by a link 47. The lever 46 cooperates with a pair of cams 48 secured to a main cam shaft 49, which receives one complete rotation during each cycle of operation of the machine. Rotation of the main cam shaft 49 and the cams 48 rocks the lever 46 to give the segment. 44. first, a clockwise, and then a counter-clockwise movement. Clockwise movement of the driving segment 44 carries the bell crank lever 40 upwardly until it contacts the end of a depressed key, whereupon it is disengaged from the shoulder of rr i the driving segment 44. In this manner, the totalizer actuator 43 is positioned according to the value of the amount key which has been depressed.

In those banks wherein no amount key is depressed, an arm 50, connected to the bell c 'ank lever 40, engages a zero stop pawl 51 and, by means of a stud on the bell crank lever 49. which stud projects through a slot in the arm 50, disengages the latch 42 from the driver 44, when the actuator 43 is in its zero position. Only the end of the arm has been shown, but reference may be had to the above mentioned Chryst patent for a detailed description and disclosure thereof.

After the actuators 4?) have been positioned. under control of the amount keys 30, the selected totalizers are engaged with the actuators. After the totalizers have been engaged with the actuators, the levers 46 are rocked in a cminter-clockwise direction, and thereby transmit counter-clockwise motion to the drive segments 44. During the counter-clockwise movement, the drive segments 44 engage studs 52 on the actuators 43 to return them to their home positions. The movement of the actuators to their home positions causes the amounts which have been set up therein to be added into the totalizer elements which have been engaged therewith.

Tomlizei' cngagiay w'tccliaa ism The mechanism for selectively engaging the totalizers with the actuators 43 is old and well known in the art, and reference may be had to the above mentioned patents for a full explanation thereof. However, in the present application, only so much of this mechanism as is necessary for carrying the totalizers into engagement with the actui ators has been shown.

Rotatably mounted on a stud (30 (Fig. is a totalizer engaging and disengaging plate 61 provided with three radially extending hooks 62. Each totalizer frame 59 is slidably mounted on its shaft 39, to the righthand end of which shaft is secured an arm 64 having pivoted thereto a link 65 upon which is mounted a stud 66. The studs 66 are selectively engaged with the hooks 62 in a manner not shown, but which is shown and described in the above mentioned Fuller patents. Mounted on each of the arms (54 is a roller (37 which projects into a cam slot 68 in a stationary plate (39 secured to the right side frame of the machine. Secured to the left-hand end of each of the totalizer shafts 39 (Figs. 3 and 4) is an arm 70 provided with a roller 71 adapted to traverse a cam slot 72 formed in a stationary plate 73 secured to the left-hand frame of the machine. The cam slots 68 and '72 are identical in shape and cause the engagement of the selected totalizers with the actuators 43 when the arms (54 and 70 are rocked, as will be presently described.

Secured to the main cam shaft 49 (Fig. 2) is a pair of cams with which contact rollers 81 mounted on a lever 82 pivoted on a stud 83. Pivoted to the upper end of the lever 82 is a pitman 84 which normally engages a stud 85 on the totalizer engaging and disengaging plate (51. 7 7

\Vhen the main cam shaft 49 is rotated, the cams 80 rock the lever 82 to shift the piti'nan 84 first to the right and then to the left (Fig. 2). This movement of the pitman 84 rocks the totalizer engaging and disengaging plate (it first, in a clockwise, and then in. a counter-clockwise direction. Clockwise movement of the plate (it draws with it that link 65, the stud (36 of which has been selectively engaged with its hook (32 on the plate 61. This movement of the selected link 65 will cause the rollers (57 and 71 to traverse the cam slots (38 and 72 of the plates (59 and 73, respectively, and shift the selected shaft 39 with its totalizers toward the center of the machine. This movement engages the selected totalizer elements with the actuators 48. Upon. continued rotation of the main cam shaft 49, and after the amount has been added into the selected totalizer, the lever 82, pitman 84 and total.- izer engaging and disengaging plate (Slv are returned to their home positions, and the totalizer elements are disengaged from the actuators.

[mil-factor selecting mechanism Pivoted to each of the totalizer actuators 43 is a beam (Fig. 1) bifurcated at its rear end to engage a stud 91 on a link 92. Each of the links 92 is pivoted to a toothed segment 93 at its upper end, and to an arm 94 at its lower end. The segment 93 selectively shifts a frame 97 for positioning the indicator 98 of this group which is to be displayed. The frame 97 shown in Fig. 1 is provided with two groups of indicators 98 and is directly engaged by the segment 93. Two frames 97 are provided for each of the other banks, and each frame carries only one group of indicators, which are positioned by segments 93 through the sleeves and shaft 96. One group is for the front, and the other for the back indication.

The means for selectively positioning the indicators is shown and described in detail in a United States patent to Fuller, No. 1,163,748, granted December 14, 1915, and reference may be had thereto for a detailed description.

The arm 94 (Fig. 1) is pivoted on a shaft 99 and has secured thereto a spiral segment 100 engaging aspiral pinion 101 mounted on a shaft 102. The shaft 102 is connected to mechanism for adjusting a type carrier. Inasmuch as this forms no part of the present invention, no further reference thereto will be made herein.

Indicator lifter mechanism mechanism raises the new indicator to dis play it to the public.

Secured to the cam shaft 49 is a pair of cams 3 and 4). Cooperating with the cams 110 are rollers 111 mounted on the respective branches of a forked indicator shifting arm 112 pivoted on the stud 113 carried by the side frame of the machine. The indicator shifting arm 112 has an irregularly shaped slot 114 which has an offset 115. A stud 116 on a coupling link 117 pivoted on an arm 118 projects into the slot 114. Pivoted on a stud 125 is a pawl 126 held in engagement with a roller 127 on the coupling link 117 by a spring 128. A surface 129 on the pawl 126, with which the roller 127 contacts, is so shaped that when the link 117 is lowered, in a manner to be presently described, the stud 116 remains in engagement with the offset of the slot 114. The arm 118 to which the link 117 is pivoted, is secured to one end of a shaft 119 journaled in the side frames of the machine. Another arm 118 is secured to the opposite end of the shaft. Pivoted to the arms 118 are links 120, the upper ends of which are pivoted to the ends of an indicator lifter frame 121. The indicator lifter frame 121 is provided with a pair of rollers 122 which travel in vertical guide slots 123 and with an indicator lifting bar 124 for each of the groups of indicators 98.

Then the main cam shaft 49 starts to rotate, at the beginning of the operation of the machine, the cams 110 rock the forked arm 1.12 in a counter-cloclm'ise direction, to lower the link 117, thus rocking the arms 118 in a counter-clockwise direction. This movement of the arms 118 lowers the links 120, thereby lowering the indicator lifter frame 121 and the indicator bars 124, which lower tlje indicators 98 into the indicator frames 9 After the indicator frames 97 have been selectively positioned under the control of the differential mechanism and the amount keys 30, the forked indicator shifting arm 112 is rocked clockwise by the cams 119, thereby raising the links 117 and 120. Raising the links raises the indicator lifter bars 124, thereby lifting the selected indicators to their exposed positions.

From the above description, it is apparent that during every operation of the machine, in which the stud 116 is held in engagement with the offset 115, the previously exposed indicator is lowered and the newly selected indicator is lifted. When an amount is added into a cost price totalizer, it is desired to prevent the indicator lifter mechanism from being effective to raise the indicators. A mechanism is provided for disengaging the stud 116 from the offset 115 when a cost price totalizer is engaged with the actuators. I

Secured to a suitably journaled shaft i:

117.. In effect, the arms 136 and 137 constitute a lever cooperating with the supporting shaft 39 and operable upon the displacing arm 140, the arm 137 carrying a cam formed by the cam slot 138.

The engagement of the totalizers is timed so that the indicator lifter frame 121 is lowered before a totalizer is engaged with the actuators. hen the cams 110 rock the indicator shifting arm 112 to move the coupling link 117 downward for lowering the exposed indicators, the surface 143 of the link shifts to a point opposite the roller 142 on the arm 1 10. After the exposed indicators have been lowered, the totalizer is moved to engage with the actuators 413. The engaging movement of the cost price totalizer rocks the arm 136, shaft 135 and arm 137 in a clockwise direction from the dotted line position in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 4. The arm 137. by means of the cam slot 138 therein, will cam the arm 140 to the right (Fig. 3), thereby pressing the roll 142 on arm 1 10 against the face 143 of the coupling link 117 to rock the link 117 about its pivot and disengage the stud 116 from the offset 115 in the slot 114 of the indicator shifting arm 112. After the stud 116 has been disengaged, the cams rock the. indicator shifting arm 112 clockwise toward its home position, but this movement is idle and the mechanism for liftingthe indicators is left in its lowermost position. When the totalizer is being dis engaged from its actuator, the arms 136 and 137 are returned to their home positions, thereby camming the arm 1 10 to its home position away from the coupling link 117. At the beginning of the next operation of the machine, the indicator shifting arm 112 is again rocked in a counter-clockwise direction, but this time the stud 116 is in the neutral part of the slot 1141-, and therefore, the movement of the indicator shifting arm 112 has no effect on the coupling link 117. However, if a cost price totalizer has not been engaged with the actuators during this succeeding operation, then, as soon as the indicator shifting arm 112 reaches its lowermost position, the pawl 126 by means of the spring 128 rocks the coupling link 117 to seat the stud 116 in the offset of slot 114. Therefore, as the cam shaft 49 completes its rotation, the selected indicator is lifted in the manner above described.

From the above description it can be seen, that when any of the selling price totalizers are engaged with the actuators, during an operation of the machine, the indicators are displayed in the usual manner. IrIowever, if a cost price totalizer is engaged with its actuators, the mechanism for lifting the indicator is rendered ineffective, and therefore, the indicator is not displayed to the public.

lVhile the form of mechanism herein shown and described is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form or embodiment herein disclosed, for it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

\Vhat is claimed is:

1. The combination of a plurality of totalizers, actuators for said totalizers, means for engaging and disengaging the totalizers relatively to the actuators, normally concealed indicators for displaying the amounts entered into said totalizers, means for shifting said indicators into visible positions, and means operated by certain of said totalizers when being engaged with the actuators, for disabling said shifting means.

2. The combination of a plurality of totalizers, actuators for said totalizers, means for causing engagement and disengagement between said actuators and said totalizers, normally concealed means for indicating the amount added into said totalizers, means for lifting said indicating means into a position to expose the same to view, and means operated by certain of said totalizers when being engaged with said actuators for preventing movement of the lifting means to prevent the exposition of the amounts entered.

3. The combination of a totalizer, actuators forsaid totalizer, normally concealed indicating means, means to shift the indicating means into visible position, means for engaging the totalizer with the actuators, and means operated by said totalizer when being engaged with said actuators, for disabling the means for shifting the indicating means.

4. The combination of a plurality of totalizers, actuators for said totalizers, indicating means, means to move the indicating means into visible position, supporting shafts for said totalizers, means for engaging said totalizers with the actuators, and means con nected to the supporting shaft of certain of said totalizers and operated thereby, for disabling the means for, moving the indicating means.

5. The combination of a totalizcr, actuators for said totalizer, indicating means, a supporting shaft for said totalizer, means operated by said totalizer supporting shaft to render said indicating means inactive when said totalizer engages the actuators.

6. The combination of a totalizer, ilCtlb ators for said totalizer, indicators for indi cating the amounts entered into said totalizer, lifting means for said indicators, operating means for said lifting means, supporting means for said totalizer, a lever coope1= ating with said supporting means, and an arm controlled by said lever and arranged to disconnect the lifting means from said operating means when said totalizer is moved into engagement with the actuators.

7. The combination of a plurality of groups of totalizers, actuators for said totalizers, indicators for indicating the amounts entered into said totalizers, lifting means for said indicators, operating means for said lifting means, a supporting means for each of said groups of totalizers, a lever cooperating with the supporting means of one of said groups of totalizers, and an arm con trolled by said lever and arranged to disconnect the lifting means from said operating means when a totalizer of said one group engages the actuators.

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a totalizer, actuators for said totalizer, a supporting shaft for the totalizer, means to shift the shaft laterally to engage the totalizer with and disengage it from the actuators, indicators, indicator display mechanism, and a cam connected to said supporting shaft and arranged to prevent operation of the display mechanism when the totalizer and supporting shaft are shifted laterally to engage the actuators.

9. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a totalizer, actuators for said totalizer, a supporting shaft for the totalizer, means to shift the shaft laterally to engage the totalizer with and disengage it from the actuators, indicators, indicator display mechanism, means cooperating with said supporting shaft and arranged to permit the indicator display mechanism to lower a previously displayed indicator and to prevent the display of another indicator when the totalizer and its supporting shaft is shifted laterally.

10. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a totalizer, actuators for said totalizer, a supporting shaft for the totalizer, means to shift the shaft laterally to engage the totalizer with the actuators, indicators, indicator lifter means, operating means for the lifter means, a resiliently operable device to maintain an effective connection between said lifter means and the operating means, to lower a previously displayed indicator, and means cooperating with said totalizer supporting shaft to disconnect the lifter means from the operating means after the previously displayed indicator is lowered, to prevent displaying another indicator.

11. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a totalizer, actuators for said totalizer, a supporting shaft for the totalizer, means to shift the shaft laterally to engage the totalizer with the actuators, indicators, indicator lifter means, an op erz'rting arm to lower and 'aise the lifter means, said operating arm provided with a notch, a projection on the lifter means to normally engage the notch, a resilient device for maintaining the projection in engagenient with the notch to lower a previously displayed indicator when the operating arm is operated, and a cam actuated by the supporting shaft to disengage the projection from the notch to prevent displaying another indicator.

12. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a totalizer; actuators therefor; means to engage the totalizcrs with and disengage them from their actuators; and indicators; of indicator lifting mechanism to successively lower a previously exposed indicator and expose a selected indicator, including an operating arm and a coupling link releasably connected to move with the operating arm; a displacing arm to release the connection between the coupling link and the operating arm; and a cam operable by the totalizer engaging and disengaging means to rock the displacing arm to effective position.

13. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a totalizer; a shiftable support therefor; actuators; means to shift the support to engage the totalizer with and disengage it from its actuators; and indicators to display an amount corresponding to the amount entered on the totalizer during its engagement with the actuators; of means to shift the selected indicators into and out of exposed position; and means automatically operated by the totalizer support when shifted to engage the totalizers with their actuators, as an incident to the adding operating of the machine, to disable the indicator-shifting means to thereby prevent the shifting means from shifting the indicators.

In testimony whereof I afiix my si nature.

BERNIS M. sHIPiZEY. 

